Wheat is the most important staple crop in temperate zones and is in increasing demand in countries undergoing urbanization and industrialization. In addition to being a major source of starch and energy, wheat also provides substantial amounts of a number of components which are essential or beneficial for health, notably protein, vitamins (notably B vitamins), dietary fiber, and phytochemical...

Inflorescence architecture is a key agronomical factor determining grain yield, and thus has been a major target of cereal crop domestication. Transition from a spread panicle typical of ancestral wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) to the compact panicle of present cultivars (O. sativa L.) was a crucial event in rice domestication. Here we show that the spread panicle architecture of wild rice ...

Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is a warm season grass with a growing season of 60-100 days. It is a highly nutritious cereal grain used for human consumption, bird seed, and/or ethanol production. Unique characteristics, such as drought and heat tolerance, make proso millet a promising alternative cash crop for the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region of the United States. Development of proso m...

Professor, Department of Plant Pathology Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14853 May, 2001 Abstract Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and Cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV) are two aphidvectored, viral disease which most typically strikes small grains, especially barley, oats, and wheat. Limited research has been conducted regarding its reaction in sweet corn because BYDV/CYDV have not previousl...

Nitrogen is one of the most important agricultural inputs affecting crop growth, yield and quality in rain-fed cereal production. In this study an image processing based approach was used for detection of nitrogen status in winter wheat. Four N fertilization rates (0, 60, 120 and 240 kg N ha, in total) and two water regimes (irrigated and non-irrigated) were applied to winter wheat. Digital ima...

We examine how changes in yield variability affect the welfare of cereal grain and oilseed buyers and producers around the world. We simulate trade patterns and welfare for 21 countries with a Ricardian trade model that incorporates bilateral trade costs and crop yield distributions. The model shows that world trade volumes would need to increase substantially if crop yield variability were to ...

A combination of genetics and archaeology is revealing the complexity of the relationships between crop plants and their wild ancestors. Archaeobotanical studies are showing that acquisition of the full set of traits observed in domesticated cereals was a protracted process, intermediate stages being seen at early farming sites throughout the Fertile Crescent. New genetic data are confirming th...

■ Abstract Agriculture is a resource-intensive enterprise. The manner in which food production systems utilize resources has a large influence on environmental quality. To evaluate prospects for conserving natural resources while meeting increased demand for cereals, we interpret recent trends and future trajectories in crop yields, land and nitrogen fertilizer use, carbon sequestration, and gr...

Crop phenology is essential for evaluating crop production in the food insecure regions of West Africa. The aim of the paper is to study whether satellite observation of plant phenology are consistent with ground knowledge of crop cycles as expressed in agro-simulations. We used phenological variables from a MODIS Land Cover Dynamics (MCD12Q2) product and examined whether they reproduced the sp...

Canola (Brassica napus L.) is an important oilseed crop. A serious problem in cultivation of this crop andyield loss, are due to fungal disease stem rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The pathogenesis-related(PR) proteins have the potential for enhancing resistance against fungal pathogen. Thaumatin-like proteins(TLPs) have been shown to have antifungal activity on variou...